Heat Pump Troubleshooting Guide For Homeowners

The weather outside is freezing cold. You expect warm air to blow from your ceiling vents. Instead, you feel a cold breeze. A broken heating machine is very stressful. Reading a good heat pump troubleshooting guide for homeowners will help you find the problem fast. You can fix many small issues yourself before calling a professional worker. We will teach you how to check your machine safely today.

Checking The Thermostat

Dead Batteries

A small plastic box sits on your hallway wall. This thermostat is the brain for your entire house. A dead brain cannot tell the heavy machines to turn on. Pull the plastic cover off the wall gently. Look for two simple AA batteries inside. Put brand new batteries in the slots. The digital screen should wake up immediately.

Wrong Settings

Sometimes a person bumps the plastic buttons by accident. The screen might say cooling instead of heating. The fan setting might be switched to the on position. This makes the fan blow cold room air all day long. Push the buttons until the screen says heat and auto. Read our Nest Thermostat Error E195 Fix page if your smart screen is completely dark.

Inspecting The Outdoor Box

Blocked Airflow

Your outdoor machine needs to breathe massive amounts of air to work perfectly. Look at the metal cage in your backyard. Thick snow drifts or dead leaves might cover the metal completely. The machine will choke and stop working. Use a soft broom to sweep the snow and leaves away from the metal sides.

Thick Solid Ice

A little bit of white frost is normal on a cold morning. A giant block of solid ice is a huge problem. The machine has a smart computer that melts the ice automatically. If this computer breaks, the ice crushes the heavy fan blades. You must turn the machine off if it looks like a solid ice cube. Check the Energy.gov Heat Pumps page to learn how this defrost cycle works.

Is your house completely freezing right now? Do you need warm air immediately? Our expert heating team can test your outdoor machine today. We carry brand new parts in our work trucks. We will fix the broken parts and make your family comfortable again.

Average Repair Costs

System Component	Main Purpose	Expected Lifespan	Estimated Part Cost	Estimated Labor Cost
Paper Air Filter	Cleans the dirty air	1 month	$10 to $20	Free to do yourself
Starting Capacitor	Gives power to motors	5-10 years	$15 to $30	$150 to $250
Defrost Board	Melts the winter ice	10-15 years	$50 to $100	$200 to $400
Reversing Valve	Changes air direction	10-15 years	$100 to $200	$500 to $900
Wall Thermostat	Acts as the main brain	10-15 years	$50 to $150	$150 to $300

Looking At Indoor Parts

The Dirty Air Filter

Your machine needs a clean paper filter to breathe easily. A dirty filter blocks the cold air from reaching the warm metal parts. The heavy motor gets very hot and shuts down completely. Pull your cardboard filter out of the metal slot. Hold it up to a bright light bulb. You must buy a brand new filter if you cannot see any light through the paper.

Closed Room Vents

You should walk into every room of your house. Look at the metal grates on the floor or ceiling. Make sure every single vent is wide open. Closing vents in empty rooms is a very bad idea. The trapped air pushes backward into the machine and breaks the heavy motors. Read the EPA Indoor Air Quality page to learn how open vents keep your air clean.

FAQ

Why is my machine blowing completely cold air in the middle of winter?

Your machine might be stuck in the summer cooling mode because the heavy brass reversing valve is broken or the outdoor unit is frozen solid under thick ice.

How do I safely melt the thick ice off my outdoor metal box?

You must never hit the ice with a hard hammer or pour hot water on the freezing metal parts. You must turn the machine off and wait for the sun to melt it slowly.

Can a completely dirty air filter stop my machine from heating the house?

Yes, a blocked paper filter chokes the heavy blower motor and causes the internal computer to shut the entire system down to prevent a massive mechanical fire.

How much money does a professional heating worker charge for a visit?

A licensed professional will usually charge you between $100 and $150 just to drive to your house and test the broken electrical parts with a digital meter.

Should I use my emergency heat setting on the wall thermostat?

You should only turn on the emergency heat setting during a severe winter blizzard because those backup electrical coils will make your monthly power bill incredibly expensive.

Conclusion

A cold house means your system is struggling to work. Start by checking your wall thermostat for dead batteries. Look outside to see if your metal box is trapped under snow or ice. Change your dirty paper filter so the indoor motors can breathe. A professional worker can fix broken electrical parts for about $200. Use our HVAC Services page to schedule a safe repair visit right now.